Cleaning Myths

The new generation of carpets is made to hide dirt. In most instances once the carpet begins showing dirt wear or traffic lane patterns, it may already be too late to restore the carpets back to original conditions. Everyday dust, dirt, body oils, and grime grind down and dull the carpet fibers.

By following our carpet care guide below your investment can be protected in the years to come.

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Fallacy #1:I should wait as long as possible before cleaning my carpet.

No! Dirt is an abrasive. Every time you step on the carpet, you grind dirt deeper into your carpet fibers. This cuts your carpet, just as if you had used a knife, causing it to wear out faster and look unsightly. A soiled carpet will not last nearly as long as a clean carpet. Around 70-80% of soil is a dry particulate (dirt), therefore, frequent vacuuming is not recommended, it is requiredto make your carpets last longer. Part of this fallacy dates back many years ago when carpet shampooers were the norm before more traditional hot water extraction was perfected. The shampooers often left quite a bit of soap residues in the carpets as well as over wetting of the fibers causing many problems to occur such as shrinkage to the carpets and carpets getting soiled much more quickly due to the residues left in the carpets

Fallacy #2:The only reason to clean carpets is to get out the dirt.

No. As you probably know, outdoor air contains pollens, fungus, bacteria, air pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust — and hundreds of other chemicals. When you and your family members come into your home, you carry those pollens, bacteria, and chemicals in your hair and on your skin, clothing, and shoes. Not surprisingly, all those chemicals, pollens and bacteria wind up in your carpet.

If you have allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other breathing problems — one major source of your problem could be the pollens, fungus, and chemicals in your carpet. In addition, as you may know, tobacco smoke contains over 3000 different chemical compounds, 42 of which cause cancer. And even if you don’t smoke, those chemicals get on your shoes, you track them in to your home and you leave them in your carpet.

Fallacy #3:One method of carpet cleaning is as good as another.

Here are the three basic methods:

Chem-dry: A carbonated effervescent solution is sprayed onto the carpet. The company then sets a large cotton bonnet pad on your carpet using a rotary machine. The machine spins the bonnet pad from side to side absorbing the dirt that’s in the carpet. After the bonnet is saturated with dirt, another cotton bonnet is applied. Our company does utilize this carbonated process in certain special situations. It can be an effective method under limited conditions but is not recommended.

Host. This dry-compound method spreads an absorbent mixture that looks like wet sawdust all over your carpeting. Then the machine brushes the mixture into the carpet, which in theory causes dirt to absorb into the mixture. When the mixture has dried, a vacuum cleaner sucks the material out of the carpeting. Again, this can be an effective method under limited conditions but is not recommended because small amounts of the dry-compound remains in the carpet.

Hot Water Extraction. A hot water surfactant/detergent cleaning solution is sprayed onto the carpets, dwell time and agitation is followed and then the dirty excess water is rinsed and extracted out of the carpets. This method is sometimes referred to as steam cleaning even though true steam is not used. Shaw Industries, the world’s largest carpet manufacturer, and Mohawk both recommend hot water extraction as their choice of carpet cleaning methods available.

Truck-mount extraction cleans more efficiently because of the higher water temperatures. I often give my customers an analogy. If you fried some chicken in a pan, would you rinse the pan with cold water or would you rinse it with the hottest water available? Try this and see which method cleans the pan the best. Methods that use cold and even warm water remove dirt — but are not as effective as the hot-water truck mount method. The most effective and efficient way to clean carpeting is with truck-mounted technology. It’s the most powerful cleaning machine on the market and the only machine that thoroughly cleans your carpet. I pre-spray all my carpets with a carbonated soap less solution followed up with rinsing and extraction with my truck-mounted unit.

Fallacy #4:The right equipment is all a company needs to clean my carpets.

If only this were true. I have seen many companies spend top dollar on the latest and greatest equipment but not train their technicians on the proper procedures to be followed in cleaning carpet or upholstery for that matter. The most knowledgeable carpet cleaning companies are those that have been certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, known as the IICRC. A carpet cleaning company cannot buy this certification. The carpet cleaner must earn the certification through study, experience and the successful completion of formal, written examinations. Cleaners who are certified by the IICRC have, in effect, earned a degree in carpet cleaning.

Fallacy #5: I received a coupon in the mail (Valpak or Potpourri) for $79.99 for the whole house or $12.95 per room with a two room minimum, how come you can’t offer these same prices?

Bottom line, you get what you pay for! I am often asked these questions and can’t help but chuckle about it. If you want a good job done right, call me. If you want a cheap job, please call someone else.

Let’s take for example the $12.95 per room example. Your total cost by this xyz company is $25.90. Let’s say you go to Albertsons or Home Depot to rent a machine. Total cost runs $25.00 a day. One gallon of Rug Doctor pre-spray is $17.50 and the residue rinse out is $9.00 per quart. This does not take into consideration the time and frustrations of waiting in line with your credit card, driving to and from the store or actually doing the job right. What makes you think that someone with a truck mounted van unit is going to come to your house in Silicon Valley for $25.90 when you can’t do it yourself for less than $50.00. Please try and avoid these bait and switch companies and tactics that they follow. Read the fine print and you will find out it usually does not include pre-spray, is for very lightly soiled carpets and their main goal is to get in your door with a cheap price and up sale you. These cleaners are typically fly-by-night operations not out for your best interest, but their own.